Fake Omega Seamaster 300 Passed eBay Authentication

jolyon · Wed. 9:51pm

I just wanted to add yesterday’s experience to this conversation. I just listed an Angelus for sale on eBay and I got an email shortly after the listing went live saying that the watch will be shipped to their authenticator and - lucky me! - I don’t need to pay anything extra. What the hell.. since when did I agree for someone from eBay to meddle with my watch before it reaches the buyer? What if they mess with it and damage something? How can I know what happened when? And there is no option to opt out..

Fallout Boy · Thurs. 1:09am

SRY: Anyone who accepts conditions when selling privately that are worse than for a dealer shouldn't be surprised. They'll also get corresponding customers. good luck!

gatorcpa · Thurs. 6:33am

jolyon
I just listed an Angelus for sale on eBay and I got an email shortly after the listing went live saying that the watch will be shipped to their authenticator and - lucky me! - I don’t need to pay anything extra.

If the watch is priced over $2,000 or is bid over that amount, the trip to the authenticator is mandatory. I think this is clearly spelled out either in the initial terms and conditions when you sign up with eBay (which is probably 20 pages and no one reads).

I understand why eBay went to this model. Too many “buyer’s remorse” returns. It also makes it difficult for buyer to “harvest” rare parts from a watch, then request a return. So in a way, the policy is there to protect sellers, too.

The flaw is that nobody’s perfect and I think it’s too much to ask that the authentication firm be experts on vintage watches from all eras of every brand.
gatorcpa

jolyon · Thurs. 6:52am

gatorcpa
If the watch is priced over $2,000 or is bid over that amount, the trip to the authenticator is mandatory. I think this is clearly spelled out either in the initial terms and conditions when you sign up with eBay (which is probably 20 pages and no one reads).

I understand why eBay went to this model. Too many “buyer’s remorse” returns. It also makes it difficult for buyer to “harvest” rare parts from a watch, then request a return. So in a way, the policy is there to protect sellers, too.

The flaw is that nobody’s perfect and I think it’s too much to ask that the authentication firm be experts on vintage watches from all eras of every brand.
gatorcpa

I suppose so, and there’s probably less chance of authenticators harvesting rare parts than there is of random customers doing it. The danger I can see for buyers is that the authenticator may say it’s genuine when it’s not and then when the customer reports it as fake, eBay could say they swapped it.

theluckyluke · Thurs. 6:56am

gatorcpa
If the watch is priced over $2,000 or is bid over that amount, the trip to the authenticator is mandatory.

Do you know if this is a US rule only? I have bought various watches in Europe above the threshold and never heard about the authentication.

lenndon · Thurs. 7:58am

jolyon
The danger I can see for buyers is that the authenticator may say it’s genuine when it’s not and then when the customer reports it as fake, eBay could say they swapped it.

Thankfully they have to do pictures so that argument doesnt't fly.
At least when I was in that situation..

gatorcpa · Thurs. 8:06am

theluckyluke
Do you know if this is a US rule only? I have bought various watches in Europe above the threshold and never heard about the authentication.

https://share.google/aimode/J4j1zHZn17puhtRQI

jolyon
The danger I can see for buyers is that the authenticator may say it’s genuine when it’s not and then when the customer reports it as fake, eBay could say they swapped it.

That danger is also there for every other source of purchasing vintage watches. At least eBay is trying to create a level playing field for both buyers and sellers. Regarding buyers, if you have $2,000 or more to spend on a vintage watch and can’t be bothered to do the necessary research on what you are buying, IMO, you deserve what you get.
gatorcpa

Ron_W · Thurs. 9:53am

gatorcpa
and I think it’s too much to ask that the authentication firm be experts on vintage watches from all eras of every brand

Expert authentication implies exactly that i think , knowledge, but if they

gatorcpa
can’t be bothered to do the necessary research

why should we use or trust them ? I think it is a good system and there is a great need for it as you explained, but they should hire true experts like here on OF. It could even be a great source of cashflow for the OF owners !

masteroftime · Thurs. 11:01am

It can be good until it isn’t…here is one of several eBay authentication horror stories. Sent a watch in to them running and intact. Not only did they reject it, but they sent it back with the crystal removed and not reinstalled, oil smudges on the dial, and missing lume.

When I called them to complain, they also claimed that (1) the crystal was “aftermarket” (which it was not) and (2) the bezel was likely “aftermarket” (it’s not) despite it being on a watch they previously authenticated.

jolyon · Thurs. 11:19am

lenndon
Thankfully they have to do pictures so that argument doesnt't fly.
At least when I was in that situation..

Good to know

jolyon · Thurs. 11:27am

gatorcpa
https://share.google/aimode/J4j1zHZn17puhtRQI

That danger is also there for every other source of purchasing vintage watches. At least eBay is trying to create a level playing field for both buyers and sellers. Regarding buyers, if you have $2,000 or more to spend on a vintage watch and can’t be bothered to do the necessary research on what you are buying, IMO, you deserve what you get.
gatorcpa

I wish they would give you the option to opt out. Both as a buyer and a seller. As a buyer of some obscure 1940’s chrono, I doubt there is anything eBay can tell me about the watch I’m buying that I don’t already know. It’s just more hands tampering with something delicate

Ron_W · Thurs. 12:11pm

masteroftime
It can be good until it isn’t…here is one of several eBay authentication horror stories. Sent a watch in to them running and intact. Not only did they reject it, but they sent it back with the crystal removed and not reinstalled, oil smudges on the dial, and missing lume.

When I called them to complain, they also claimed that (1) the crystal was “aftermarket” (which it was not) and (2) the bezel was likely “aftermarket” (it’s not) despite it being on a watch they previously authenticated.

They actualy had to put in effort to screw it up like that, it`s appalling.

Davidt · Thurs. 1:05pm

jolyon
I wish they would give you the option to opt out. Both as a buyer and a seller. As a buyer of some obscure 1940’s chrono, I doubt there is anything eBay can tell me about the watch I’m buying that I don’t already know. It’s just more hands tampering with something delicate

Every time I’ve bought a watch the authenticator has flagged an issue with, they’ve given me the option to accept it anyway

gatorcpa · Thurs. 1:51pm

jolyon
I wish they would give you the option to opt out.

They can’t, otherwise the protection is worthless.

All they can do is what was indicated above. They can say they have a problem with the watch and give you, as the buyer, the option to reverse the transaction.

As I said, you as a buyer cannot expect an authentication firm to know everything about every vintage watch. There are going to be mistakes made on eBay by these authentication companies. It’s a fact of life.

However, do you think an authentication service would have caught this monstrosity that cost several people their jobs and is still being litigated four years later? The eBay protection is a lot better than what you get from most auction houses.
gatorcpa

jolyon · Thurs. 10:02pm

gatorcpa
They can’t, otherwise the protection is worthless.

All they can do is what was indicated above. They can say they have a problem with the watch and give you, as the buyer, the option to reverse the transaction.

As I said, you as a buyer cannot expect an authentication firm to know everything about every vintage watch. There are going to be mistakes made on eBay by these authentication companies. It’s a fact of life.

However, do you think an authentication service would have caught this monstrosity that cost several people their jobs and is still being litigated four years later? The eBay protection is a lot better than what you get from most auction houses.
gatorcpa

What I had in mind is that I would prefer as a seller to be able to choose whether or not the watch has the ‘authenticity guaranteed’ badge or not. I would personally prefer to forego the authenticated title in lieu of not having extra hands messing with the watch on its way to the customer.

And as for the 3M CHF Speedmaster.. I cannot get over that crazy story. I tend to agree with the writer of this article’s opinion that the whole auctioning and purchase of that watch for such a price were about more than the watch itself.

gatorcpa · Fri. 5:44am

jolyon
I would personally prefer to forego the authenticated title in lieu of not having extra hands messing with the watch on its way to the customer.

So would a lot of sellers who may not be as honest as you. Which is the whole point of the eBay program.
gatorcpa

Davidt · Fri. 1:32pm

gatorcpa
So would a lot of sellers who may not be as honest as you. Which is the whole point of the eBay program.
gatorcpa

Exactly this.

Davidt · 2026-08-02T07:28:22-0500

To emphasise the point the authenticator doesn’t get it right all the time. This sm120 is for sale on eBay for a very strong price. The seller claims previously authenticated by eBay, yet it’s clearly fake.

https://ebay.io/m/rfUTRs

gatorcpa · 2026-08-02T07:39:43-0500

Davidt
The seller claims previously authenticated by eBay, yet it’s clearly fake.

For the benefit of those like myself who know nothing about this particular reference, it would be nice to know what you think is wrong with it.

I also wonder if it was authenticated before and still had the seal intact, what would happen the 2nd time around.
gatorcpa

Davidt · 2026-08-02T08:19:30-0500

No doubt, it’s one of the known fake kits that use a genuine Omega 5xx movement.

The dial has tells including font and colour.

The bezel font and lume pip are wrong (there’s a specific tell on the fake bezels that I don’t post publicly as some sellers know the pip is a giveaway and have started removing the pip and selling them as pip missing).

The caseback engraving is different to the genuine one and the quality of the engraving is poor.

Fake Omega Seamaster 300 Passed eBay Authentication

jolyon

Fallout Boy

gatorcpa

jolyon

theluckyluke

lenndon

gatorcpa

Ron_W

masteroftime

jolyon

jolyon

Ron_W

Davidt

gatorcpa

jolyon

gatorcpa

Davidt

Davidt

gatorcpa

Davidt

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